Marshall Day, editor and publisher of the Gatesville Messenger, died early Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Marshall was the 2006 president of the Texas Press Association, following a nine-year term on the board of directors of TPA. He was chairman of the first Grass Roots Legislative Committee of TPA.

He was a member of four of the states five regional press associations and was president of West Texas Press Association in 2001-2002. He was a long-time director of North and East Texas Press Association and the South Texas Press Association. He was the recipient of the two highest honors awarded by NETPA — the Tom Mooney award an d the Sam Holloway Award.

Marshall was the fourth graduate of Andrews High School to serve as president of TPA. He, Jerry Tidwell, Roy McQueen and Larry Tidwell learned the newspaper business from legendary Andrews Publisher James Roberts. All later became publishers of Roberts Group newspapers.

Marshall began his newspaper career as the sports editor of The Hereford Brand and later became news editor at Hereford. He was publisher of the Seminole Sentinel for 12 years. He also served as publisher of the Edna Herald and the Ganado Tribune and while there combined the two newspapers into The Jackson County Herald-Tribune.

Five years later he re-joined the Roberts Publishing group as publisher of The Gatesville Messenger. His wife Debbie was advertising manager of the Messenger.

In addition to his newspaper career, he served the communities where he was publisher. He was on Chamber of Commerce boards in Seminole and Gatesville, on civic club boards in Hereford and Edna and was a member of the Gatesville Planning and Zoning Commission.

1st:Kerrville Daily Times
“Public bidding – Though there was only one entry for this division, these were still great editorials. Transparency – always a great topic.
Tax rate – Again – tax rate increase? Tomato, tomata. Loved the mayor’s quote.”

DIV. B

1st:Hood County News
“Library against censorship – First – great headline! Positive editorials are just as engaging as those that are contentious. Yay, library board!
Same-sex vs. Co. clerk – Wow – great subject matter and great stand.”

2nd:Lampasas Dispatch-Record
“Reservoir – Water ownership is always a hot subject. Good info but seemed more of a news item.
Guns – Another hot topic! Good arguments – and you brought up good points.”

DIV. C

1st:Azle News, Mark K. Campbell
“Gunfire – Seriously? Gunfire near a school? I’m surprised this wasn’t resolved before you had an opportunity to write this. Well done.
Athletic Hall – Perhaps not an editorial but the other entry was very strong.”

2nd:Dublin Citizen, Scott Dykowski
“Improve park – Encouraging folks to volunteer, city benefits of green space – well done.
Art show – While encouraging folks to attend an art show – not sure if it is an editorial.”

3rd:Hamilton Herald News, Maria Weaver
“Libel – Always a great subject. Newspapers struggle with how much to publish – especially during election years.”

DIV. D

1st:Hamilton Herald News
“Melissa Perner, Praise for CCCSD – This certainly proves that it takes a village to raise a child. Great solutions/suggestions for your readers to get involved. Public notices Preaching to the choir, sister! Love it! Great organization!”

2nd:Clarendon Enterprise
“Roger Estlack, Growing businesses – As our main streets shrink, [something] we all are experiencing. Great suggestions! A challenge You put your money where your mouth is! Great job.”

3rd:Springtown Epigraph
“Mark K. Campbell, Cop shootings – Trust vs. distrust of law enforcement – age old arguments. Thanks a cop – indeed! Social media Great subject – typically people are tried on social media. What a breath of fresh air. Good job promoting – good job on editorial.”

4th:Albany News
“No byline, Elective emotions – Divisive issue – it’s hard not to take a side sometimes. But to remind all of fair play is great. Doing our part If everyone did their part – what a world it would be.”

COLUMN WRITING

DIV. A

1st:Snyder Daily News – Bill Crist
“Shutting out the public – Excellent read. You know what you’re talking about. Keep on keeping on! Watching as our children Beautifully written. I agree with every word. The first place column.”

2nd:Kerrville Daily Times – Mark Armstrong
“Springtime for Pratt – Well written. (But how do you really feel?) Good for you! Councilman’s letter Also well written. You obviously know what you’re talking about. Good job!”

3rd:Brownwood Bulletin – Steve Nash
“Behind enemy lines – Interesting take on an “away” game and getting to the stadium. Entertaining! Sometimes stories never get old Funny! Oh, those hillbillies in their manufactured homes! Great read!”

DIV. B

1st:Hood County News – Kathy Cruz
“WWJD? – Excellent writing style and I totally agree.
Remembering the departed – Great read and wonderful wit. You are a class act.”

4th:Clarendon Enterprise – Roger Estlack
Bean still inspiring – Great read. Made me wish I could meet Mr. Bean. Blue Bell I felt the same way! Great writing and very funny.

FEATURE WRITING

DIV. A

1st:Kerrville Daily Times
“Victoria Aldrich, Ride ‘em cowboy! – Nice details and descriptions. It felt like I was riding the bull. Solid reporting. Nice rodeo coverage.
Monique Brand, Sharing the road – Good job covering all side of the story. Especially liked that there were a variety of opinions. Kerrville is being covered well by this news staff.”

2nd:Snyder Daily News
“Shirley A. Gorman, Burleson returns home to surprise son – Sweet story about a veteran surprising her son. It’ll be a keepsake for the family.
Glen Brockenbush, Local veteran surprised by mother’s gift – Another local story about a veteran that’s sure to be a keepsake for the family. Reporters are covering the town with personal stories that mean a lot to families.”

3rd:Brownwood Bulletin
“Andrew Valderas Building blocks – The lead was confusing. I wondered why the first paragraph was necessary since the story was about Brownwood High. Solid reporting on the traditions and seasons.
In their honor – Work on leads.”

DIV. B

1st:Wise County Messenger
“Kristen Tribe, Kids all right – Went through two issues reading this story. It was thorough and well done, well reported. Nice job.
Jake Harris, Back in the saddle – Another tearjerker. I hope happy things happen in Wise County! Seriously, solid reporting and good story telling.”

2nd:Hood County News
“Rick Mauch, Mighty mites – Great look back to the past. Good layout, photos, and writing. Solid reporting coupled with good story telling. A treat to read about this football team.
Up on the farm – Solid reporting. Nice job.”

3rd:Lampasas Dispatch Record
“Jeff Lowe, High tech horse care – Good reporting.
Wagon Wheels Ranch – Solid reporting. Lampasas is being served well by its newspaper!”

DIV. C

1st:Glen Rose Reporter
Travis M. Smith, Five miles – Enjoyed the story because Bridewell was a down-to-earth, good interviewer. However, it would have been great to have another point of view on the page. Still, solid reporting here again.
Through a coach’s – Good, solid reporting on a Glen Rose celebrity. I liked all the quotes from hometown people. Well done. Glen Rose is lucky to have such through coverage from its news staff.”

2nd:Dublin Citizen
“Paul Gaudette, Making movie – Interesting story about how to make a movie. There needs to be more quotes and sources in this feature.
Bricks – Great layout. Technically, it needs more quotes; this wasn’t a feature but a news story. Solid reporting. Dublin is being covered well by this news staff.”

3rd:Hamilton Herald News
No bylines (why?!) Ensor – What a wonderful man! He seemed to be an easy interview. Good quotes. Photographs The community NEEDS to know the writer behind these stories. It’s like an anonymous letter. It shouldn’t be printed without a byline.

DIV. D

1st:Big Lake Wildcat
“J.L. Mankin, Baggett – Great and unusual story of a kid who gets hit by pitches. Especially liked the part that reporter went extra mile and interviewed opposing pitcher. Good, solid reporting from Mankin. The community is lucky to have him.
Clayton – Story brought tears to my eyes. Well done. Pull quotes and graphics would break up solid blocks of copy on both pages.”

2nd:Hamilton Herald News
“Melissa Perner, Good fire – Good, solid reporting by Perner. She packed a lot of useful information into a story in an effective way. Nice job.
MLK Day – Nice use of photos to go with a solid story about how public school celebrates a holiday. Well done.”

3rd:Albany News
Melinda Lucas, Barn Owl – Interesting story about hot to rehab an owl. Work to make leads more interesting. The final paragraph paraphrased would have made a compelling lead. Good reporting.
Donnie Lucas, Old truck – Lead needs work. There were so many interesting ways this story could have started – lost boy, captured by Indians, wedding dress, children’s moccasins. Nice job reporting.

NEWS WRITING

DIV. A

1st:Kerrville Daily Times
“Jennifer Reiley, Mayor, wife – Balanced story.
City in debt – Well done with one exception: The current mayor should have been consulted. No indication he didn’t respond to request for comments. Stories are first place by a landslide.”

2nd:Brownwood Bulletin
“Steve Nash, BISD superintendent – The lead references that the supt. Was “embattled” but the story never addressed that. Left with more questions than answers.
Godspeed, sheriff – Interesting choice for a news writing entry.”

3rd:Snyder Daily News
“Glen Brockenbush, Demolition – Lead is in the fifth paragraph. Story needed more “life”
Ben Barkley, ASATR – Lead is in fourth paragraph down. Best of the two entries. Good use of quotes.”

DIV. B

1st: (tie) Hood County News/Wise County Messenger
“HC: Kathy Cruz, Clerk defies – and Mark Wilson, State senator’s wife – Both writers keep the story flowing and present a balance of both sides of very controversial and timely stories. Well done.
WCM: Brian Knox, Tornadoes – Good job. Well-written, Informative and touching;
Farewell – Dammit! You made me cry! Very moving.”

2nd:Hereford Brand
“John Carson, Judges nix – Good story and timely , relevant. However, first and last graphs contradict one another.
Hospital budget – Story would’ve been easier to digest if, rather than quoting the law verbatim initially, it had been summarized. Sticky topic.”

3rd:Lampasas Dispatch Record
“David Lowe, Colorado River – This is good journalism – well-researched and well-presented. What hurts it is its length. Breaking it up into two stories – maybe a main story and a sidebar – would make it go down easier for your readers.
Derek Moy/Jeff Lowe, Lampasas grad killed – Tragic story. Reporting of the wreck was straight out of police logs – it needs more than that. Good quotes from coaches, teammates, friends.”

4th:Jacksboro Herald-Gazette
“Cherry Rushin, Supershark – Lead in third graph. Writing is scattered. In need of good editing to tighten it up so it reads better.
Gun owners – More of a news feature – a collection of quotes.”

DIV. C

1st:Dublin Citizen
“Paul Gaudette, Taking cover – Story interrupted by Red Cross info which could’ve been a sidebar. Otherwise a good account of a high-interest story.
Scott Dykowski, Smell – Left a lot to be desired. Seems there would be health issues involved beyond drinking water. Where are these people staying?”

2nd:Glen Rose Reporter
“Travis M. Smith, Johnson County officials – Who was burning the midnight oil? Lead not relevant.
With arrival of unaccompanied – This writer displays some serious attitude – not appropriate in news writing.”

3rd:Hamilton Herald News
No byline, Chicken E staffer – Disjointed – backed into story.
Scurrying squirrel – Great lead – but didn’t tie in with explosion. By far, the best of the two entries.

4th:Azle News
“Carla Noah Stutsman, Attacker – Got off on a rabbit trail on how 911 call was handled in the middle of the story – actually early on.
Chaos in Reno – Backed into the story which should have been pulled from a routine “council wrap.””

DIV. D

1st:Hico News Review
“Jerry McAdams, Two 18-wheelers – Good job – thorough.
Former Hico teacher – Fair job – seems there could be more to the story.”

2nd:Eldorado Success
“No byline, An evening – More of a news feature.
No conspiracy – A lot of dry – could have had much more reader appeal.”

3rd:Hamilton Herald News
“Melissa Perner, Preparing – Changes should have been part of the headline and lead. Good community service story.
Jail – A meeting will be held is a good way to stop a reader. How about “Input in a $5.9 million county jail “?”

4th:Big Lake Wildcat
“J.L. Mankin, Radiation limits – Timid approach to this story hurt it.”
“No byline, Turnover at the top – Needed a summary lead to reflect the headline. Tighter editing would help good reporting. ”

2nd:Wise County Messenger
“Okay. This football section may be the best I’ve ever seen. Year-ender is also pretty impressive. However, this is a distinct advantage over everyday coverage which is the spirit of the category. Was completely torn and confused on what to do?”

3rd:Lampasas Dispatch Record
“Avoid bumping photos. Bigger headlines need to be at the top of the page. Covered wide range of sports – good job. Town should appreciate that.”

DIV. C

1st:Glen Rose Reporter
“Great use of graphics. Nice layout. Photos a little out of focus. Liked Smith’s column – not many columns in West Texas papers. Well written.”

2nd:Dublin Citizen
“Avoid bumping photos. Layout scattered.”

3rd:Azle News
“Too many big, bulky photos on front. Layout in second section poor. Great coverage of multiple sports. Good job. Hope community appreciates the effort.”

2nd:Big Lake Wildcat
“Good pair of photos. The fire photo cutline probably could have been turned into a story.”

3rd:Clarendon Enterprise
“Good shots. A little variety would have helped, but I’m sure the theater is a big dea.”

4th:Hico News Review
“Fire photo “muddy.” Could have been lighter.”

ADVERTISING

DIV. A

1st:Brownwood Bulletin
“Good use of space. Two very different types of ads. The simple Circle of Life uses white space and typography well. There are not many ads that can or should use 20 type styles, but the barn dance says old fashioned country!”

2nd:Kerrville Daily Times
“Nice, everyday ads. Well done.”

3rd:Snyder Daily News
“Average ads that do the job.”

DIV. B

1st:Hood County News
“Everyone loves cute kid photos – this one is great and used with the right white space to make it outstanding. The flood ad is simple and has great impact – simple and effective.”

2nd:Lampasas Dispatch Record
“Two ads with lots of info or points of interest done in a reader-friendly manner and nice layouts.”

3rd:Levelland-Hockley County News Press
“Nice, well-done ads. Good use of color.”

DIV. C

1st:Azle News
“Two complex ads that organized into well, used good color graphics, and cleanly put over their message.”

SPECIAL SECTION

DIV. A

1st:Brownwood Bulletin
“Outstanding work on this special section. A keepsake for sure. The presentation/layout clear, easy to read. Use of photos before and now wonderful! I especially enjoyed the article on the POW.”

2nd:Kerrville Daily Times
“The layout of the magazine was very good and original as far as graphics. The content was typical chamber news.”

3rd:Snyder Daily News
“It is too to see a business care enough to pay for this section to be published each year for the citizens of Snyder. Maybe adding a story in each page higher up the page and break it up a bit instead of seeing photos. Hope it continues to grow.”

DIV. B

1st:Hood County News
“Very crisp layout. Informative, easy on the eyes. Good ad placement and nicely designed ads.”

2nd:Lampasas Dispatch Record
“Very attractive guide. Very difficult to decide between first and second place.”

3rd:Lamesa Press Record
“Impressive edition. Great advertising support. A lot of work went into this edition and the effort shows. Congratulations to the staff.”

4th:Wise County MessengerNo comments from judge.

DIV. C

1st:Azle News
“This was an excellent special section. Your community should be proud of this and it looks like they are by the amount of advertising support in the section. Wonderful job.”

2nd:Dublin Citizen
“Eye-popping front page. Informative and a good idea to highlight what’s new and happening in your community. This instills community pride. The “Building a By-pass” heading is distracting. Words should not be split like that. Have a complete word on one page.”

3rd:Hamilton Herald News
“Would have liked to have seen the advertiser guide at the end of the section. The idea here is to showcase your community. The advertising content is good. It’s good to have the support of your business community.”

DIV. D

1st:Clarendon Enterprise
“Nice publication. Contents hard to read.”

2nd:Albany News
“Good info in this section.”

3rd:Eldorado SuccessNo comments from judge.

4th:Springtown EpigraphNo comment from judge.

SPECIAL COVERAGE

DAILIES & SEMI-WEEKLIES

1st:Lampasas Dispatch Record
“The Dispatch Record wasn’t afraid to take a tough stance on water rights usage. This is an especially touchy subject with Texas landowners. However, the editorial weighed the needs of the many over the needs of the few. It was the right choice for the right reasons – community. Kudos to you Mr. Lowe.”

2nd:Jacksboro Gazette
“Cherry Rushin chose to highlight a huge oversight by the Jacksboro city council – not funding libraries! It was a worthy fight because our industry’s very existence rests upon libraries. This is a fight worth waging, which is why I wanted to award a second place in this division. We should all be this diligent. Nice job, Cherry.”

WEEKLIES

1st:Hamilton Herald News
“A home run for Ozona! Melissa Perner took on three major projects – a new health clinic, jail, and wellness center and presented the information and covered the projects in hundreds of inches to drive the projects home. Keep up the good work.”

2nd:Clarendon Enterprise
“It’s fun that the “cub reporter” got the water feature for his town started. Continue to back this project and look at the Ozona entry for some good ideas.”

GENERAL EXCELLENCE

DIV. A

1st:Kerrville Daily Times
“Kerrville residents are lucky to have such good coverage. This news staff, designers, and copy editors, and editors know their community. What a well-designed newspaper with a good looking special section to boot. Kudos!”

2nd:Brownwood Bulletin
“The only difference between first and second place was design. Reproduction quality was not top quality, especially with color photos.”

3rd:Snyder Daily News
“Photo reproduction and ad repro quality was muddy. The Snyder community is being well served by this newspaper staff. Nice job!”

DIV. B

1st:Wise County Messenger
“Such a good newspaper! Anchored by great photography and design, the writing, advertising, and other elements also excel in this division. This is a model community newspaper. Well done and keep up the great work.”

2nd:Hood County News
“Wonderful newspaper – lots of local names, face, and engagements. Love the “Your Turn” feature. Writing is top notch and like that you have pages full of local commentary. Miniscule difference between first and second places. Granbury should be proud to have this high-quality publication.”

3rd:Lamesa Press Reporter
“Great job getting local names and faces into the paper. Good reporting (but where are bylines?). Excellent photography. Lamesa has a great staff running its paper. It’s obvious they care deeply for all in this community.”

4th:Hereford Brand
“Solid local paper. Good writing, solid design, though in need of a few tweaks. Thought-provoking local columns (Desalination) and good ad design. Keep up the good work.”

2nd:Azle News
“Solid paper though look could use updating. Great writing, reporting, and opinion pieces. Advertising design is very good! Keep up the good work!”

3rd:Dublin Citizen
“A solid community paper. Ove the local opinion content. Design is very good on some pages (front, features) but tired in others. A thorough redesign is in order. Overall, this is a paper that cares about its community. Nice features, columns, and coverage. Keep up the good work!”

DIV. D

1st:Big Lake Wildcat
“Great layout and look. Wonderful job with photography. Reporting is solid and local issues are front and center as they should be. Columns well done. A super paper for the Big Lake community.”

2nd:Albany News
“Great job overall. Good use of info boxes, solid reporting. Maybe use a little less brown in art elements. Love a full page of local opinion pieces. Super job! Your community should be very proud.”

3rd:Springtown Epigraph
“A solid newspaper! Good news coverage of community and use of local content on opinion page. “Best of” section good, but consider a paragraph or two about your winners. Has an empty feel. Also, consider a design update. Solid paper, but a bit dated feel. Keep up the good work – you serve your community well.”

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

DAILIES

1st:Kerrville Daily Times – Tom Holden
“Your volleyball and competition heats up are great. Very focused, great composition. The football photos should have been cropped down from the top to focus vision more on players. Stands in the background are distracting. Stop putting cutlines on the top of photos. It’s fine occasionally but sometimes is hard to read.”

SEMI-WEEKLIES

1st:Wise County Messenger – Joe Duty
“Wow. Your photography skills blow me away. Love the perspective on the Frisbee shot. Your news photos show you are allowed in placed where most PD and fire departments won’t allow the rest of us. Nicely done. Crisp, clear, balanced. By far the best.”

2nd:Lampasas Dispatch Record – Jeff Lowe
“I really like the perspective on the Paying Respects photo. Rain shot is nice for sports. Would love to see 2 different shots, but that’s okay. Overturned vehicle photo seemed to be a bit muddy, but that could be the printer. Maybe calibrate your computer screen to printer qualifications to lighten/brighten photos in print.”

3rd:Hood County News – Mary Vinson
“Great football shot, but I would’ve cropped it closer to take out the sideline crowd and focus more on the action. Feature photos are nicely done. Gay rights – names? And who is on which side of the argument?”

2nd:Azle News – Mark K. Campbell
“Interesting shot on bridge and flooding river running narrow up the page. I like your ice and the coming storm. I felt you were stretching to put the Moment of Silence photo in. If you had focused on the bottom right and zoomed in, that would’ve been a much better shot.”

3rd:Albany News – Donnie Lucas
“You obviously love football because those are the best shots. Cropping closer in the snow photo would have helped. Nice blacksmith shot.”

4th:Dublin Citizen – Tesha Shafer
“Bonfire is nice. The tiara shot is so photoshopped and out of perspective. There is no focus really on the football shot. The real action – with the ball – is almost lost. Uphill battle – out of focus.”

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

DAILIES

1st:Kerrville Daily Times – Jennifer Reiley
“Nice ledes really drew me into the stories. Nice mix of news and features and in-depth look at city dept. Definitely first place.”

2nd:Snyder Daily News – Ben BarkleyNo comment from judge.

SEMI-WEEKLIES

1st:Wise County Messenger – Brian Knox
“Nice ledes on stories. Wide variety. This was a tough choice between first and second places. Solid reporting and presentation of facts brought this entry to the top.”

2nd:Lampasas Dispatch Record – David Lowe
“You are a very diverse writer – able to do features, news, editorial, column. Nice job. A tough choice between first and second.”

3rd:Hood County News – Kathy Cruz
“Presentation is nice. Ledes are good. Lack of variety dropped this a bit. Give me a column or editorial or sports to show versatility. ”

4th:Hereford Brand – John Carson
“Interesting column, poetry. The disease infested football idea was interesting but went on a little too long.”

I have been accepted to the graduate school of Mass Communications at Stephen F. Austin State University and will start working on my M.A. this fall. I was required to submit an essay as part of the application process and thought I would share my submission here:

Austin Lewter

The global media landscape has changed more dramatically over the past decade than at any other time in the past 200 years. As professionals, we have witnessed staggering changes in consumer habits and, at the same time, have tried to keep up with those changes. The business model of news has shifted to a point where it seems getting the story first is more important than getting it right. Many news organizations have lost sight of the fact that the news is not about them. The news is about the subjects of the story, the consumers of the story and, ultimately, the community affected by the story. I have long desired a move into collegiate education, thus my application to the Mass Media Program at SFA. I have never seen more of a need for better guidance and mentorship in our industry than right now. I am ready to be part of the solution and am sure SFA is a prime training ground to do just that.

Randy Mankin is the immediate past-president of the Texas Press Association where he has served as a board member for 14 years. He is the president of Masked Rider Publishing who owns and publishes the Big Lake Wildcat and Eldorado Success. Both are small weekly newspapers operating among the current West Texas oil boom. His son, J.L., is the award-winning editor of the Wildcat while Randy serves as editor of the Success. He is a champion of his community and widely respected in professional circles for his passion for excellent community journalism.

Along with being the county seat of Schleicher County, Eldorado was also the site of the YFZ Ranch. It once served as the headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. At the head of the organization was felon Warren Jeffs. In early 2008, state officials removed over 400 children from the polygamist compound and the national media descended upon Randy’s hometown. He later told an assembly of the North & East Texas Press Association he was excited, at first, about working side-by-side with national media heavyweights. He said he even made room for some Internet connections and desks in the back of his newspaper’s office to give the correspondents a place to work.

“That lasted until they started stealing our sources,” Randy said. “And, beyond that, the story they were telling did not accurately depict what was happening in our town… it was to the point that I had a national correspondent from CNN, a name you’d recognize if I told you, say, ‘Randy, you are a weekly newspaper. You have the luxury of getting the story right. We have to get it first.’”

The Success continued to get the story right and published it both in print and online. Soon thereafter, Randy stumbled upon the local regional daily newspaper’s website to find a picture he had taken and published on his website as the lead art on their homepage.

“There it was, a picture we had copyrighted on our website in full color on their online edition… it didn’t even have a photo credit,” Randy said. He called the senior editor at the respected West Texas daily complaining of copyright infringement and plagiarism. “The editor informed me their using our photo was not plagiarism. ‘In this day and age, that is just news gathering,’ he told me,” Randy said. The national correspondents stayed in Eldorado until the next big story broke that November. A madman had gone on a rampage in Killeen and the news trucks rolled east. When the dust settled, the Eldorado Success was one of the only media outlets left covering Warren Jeffs’ day in court. They got the story right while the national affiliates had moved on to the next headline.

Randy’s story is not unique. There are diligent community media outlets across the nation who have witnessed the carelessness of regional and national firms first hand. The Internet and social media have seemingly done away with the 24-hour news cycle and replaced it with a 15-minute news cycle. In doing so, ethical practices and getting the facts straight are sometimes forgotten. It behooves us as leaders, mentors and managers to help fix the problem. No matter the medium in which news is delivered, the news must be accurate. Standards of good reporting, storytelling and ethical practice cannot fall prey to the relentless pressure of getting the story first. Young journalists and current professionals should uphold the same values and practices on which our free press was established, no matter the method in which that press operates. In the wake of the social media explosion of the past decade, expediency is on the verge of replacing accuracy and that simply cannot be allowed.

In reporting the news, we provide a service to our community. We do not operate community service organizations, but media companies exist (at their core) to serve a community. It is not about us. It is about the community. Our consumers value the information we provide. They rely upon it for their day-to-day lives. It influences their decisions and opinions. As such, we carry a great responsibility to those we serve. We also carry a great responsibility to the advertisers who subsidize our livelihoods. But those two responsibilities cannot fall upon blurry lines. Media consolidations and cutbacks over the past decade have led to the age-old wall between advertising and editorial departments lessening in stature. More and more, hyper-local newspapers have editors who sell ads and ad reps who contribute editorial content. Much of this can be attributed to the “all hands on deck” mentality it requires to publish a community product with a staff of two or three people. As we evolve toward a point of complete departmental emersion, we must not let the rolling of the free press be trumped by the quest for the almighty dollar that pays for the press to run.

I learned this lesson first hand as a young editor at the small community weekly. At the time, I was covering most of a news and sports budget that included three city halls and four school districts. One afternoon, a call went out on the police scanner about an attempted suicide at an area business. An employee at the local feed store had hung himself in the warehouse. Co-workers caught him in the act and intervened before he lost his life. Emergency crews were dispatched and an air ambulance was launched. The local fire department closed a portion of the adjacent state highway on which to land the helicopter. Traffic was diverted for over an hour. I was three hours out from deadline and well within a window to get the story in that week’s print edition, so I reported to the scene with camera in hand. I got a statement from the police chief and took a few photos of the helicopter landing on the pavement. After returning to the office, I revamped my front page with a picture of the helicopter and an extended cutline. I opted not to write a full story mainly because the compelling artwork and concise cutline, I felt, relayed the facts succinctly.

While paginating my efforts, my publisher walked by my desk and saw the image of the helicopter on page one. His interest piqued and he asked what had happened. I told him about my afternoon and he read the cutline. He asked me again where the incident happened. When I reminded him, he said, “They are one of our biggest advertisers. Did you ask the owner how he felt about us running this?” I told him I had not, but I could only assume the owner would not look too favorably upon the story. It was a tragedy and it happened on his clock, but that shouldn’t negate our obligation to relay the story to the readers, if for no other reason than a state highway was closed for over an hour to land a helicopter.

We debated the issue briefly. I believed by reporting the facts, we could quell the rumor mill. My cutline did not contain the patient’s name, though it could have, and I thought we were as respectful as possible under the circumstances. He disagreed and was concerned the advertiser might take out his discontent on his local marketing budget. Ultimately, the photo did not run and I learned a valuable lesson: the man who owns the press, not the man who runs the press, supremely holds the freedom of the press. I followed my publisher’s order, the photo was trashed and the advertiser maintained his support. Until this day, I feel we did our community a disservice. They had the right to know and we opted out. As a whole, the industry cannot opt out. We must respectfully and responsibly tell the stories that matter to the folks we serve. If we do so to the best of our ability, advertisers will support our efforts. Free markets must not hinder a free press, and we must be able to determine when such threats are relevant.

All this being said, the question at hand is, “Why do I want to further my education?” The answer is simple, because I want to be part of the solution. Our industry lacks confident, steadfast mentors who can effectively influence the decision process of media professionals on all ends of the spectrum. I am passionate about becoming that person of influence. Research and scholarship are only applicable if they lead to professional success that yields financial stability. Advisers, professors and researchers are obligated not only to dispense knowledge, but also to contribute to the gathering of it. I have had a few mentors along the way who have displayed the example I strive to set; first as an undergraduate and moreover upon entering the professional world.

One such positive influence was Dr. John Allen Hendricks. He was the radio adviser at my alma mater. I was not a broadcast major, but all communication students had to take a semester of radio broadcast. Dr. Hendricks taught the class and, in doing so, staffed the campus radio station two shifts per night with those of us enrolled. Being a small regional university, the entire communications department filled the second floor of a small building that was erected soon after the Eisenhower administration. The student newspaper was at one end of the hallway and the radio station was at the other. Modest offices and even more modest classrooms bridged the two. I majored in journalism and spent most of my time in the newsroom where I served as the News Editor of the campus newspaper. I had fun hosting a three-hour radio show on Thursday nights, but my real passion was print. The department was small and the students were tight-knit so I usually had a friend on the air behind the glass at the other end of the hallway. When I did, it became a habit to stroll down to the radio station and check in on whoever was behind the mic. I was silent while the mic was open and we would continue visiting after the music resumed. One night a DJ friend surprised me by opening another mic and announcing my presence on the air. He then asked me what stories we were working on for that week’s newspaper. I told him and we bantered back and forth briefly before returning to the music. It was a fun exchange and it soon became a weekly ritual. My adviser encouraged it, and we felt as if we were converging mediums.

I was at the radio station on another occasion eavesdropping on the news director preparing his daily top-of-the-hour update. His phone rang and it was a fellow broadcast major who was in Sherman, Texas (the next large town south of ours). Our friend on the phone told him the state highway in Sherman was closed due to a possible active shooter situation near a middle school that had been possibly placed on lock down. It all sounded very exciting. The reporter was a senior staff member at the radio station. He was giving us a blow-by-blow account of what he saw as he pulled off the road snooping around. He then told the news director he should go live with him on the telephone on air with what he was witnessing at the scene. The news director reminded him the station did not have the technology for live remotes. The caller told him how he could hold his phone in front of the mic and it would likely transmit well over the air. At first, I was just a witness to all of this. The news director liked the idea and rigged the technology. He interrupted programming with a, “breaking news update and our reporter on the scene.” When he did, he activated the second studio mic, shoved it in front of my face and introduced me as part of the reporting crew. Like any good journalist, I started asking questions too.

We thought we were really on to something. Dr. Hendricks did not. A few minutes into the ordeal, he emerged from his nearby office and quietly asked us to return to music. When we did, and the mics were closed, he took the teaching moment to inform us why what we had just done was irresponsible. He reminded us Sherman was not only across the county line, but also across the state line and was well outside of our coverage area. He told us a man driving by with a cell phone was not as viable a source as validating the incident with police. Most importantly, our friend reported, “he had heard the local Middle School was on lock down.” We never vetted the report or confirmed that such was the case.

“What if someone who heard your broadcast has a child in that school?” Dr. Hendricks asked. “Now they are worried about something that could or could not be happening all because someone on the phone ‘heard’ something.” In our defense, the news director valued the opinion and orders of the senior staff member and our intentions were well meaning, but it was irresponsible. The police incident ended with a suicide in an apartment building, no school lock down, no one else hurt and me learning a valuable lesson: the value of vetting sources and concern for the well being of those to whom we were broadcasting. I have practiced this lesson daily since our broadcast and thank Dr. Hendricks for offering it. After that, I enrolled in a few more of Dr. Hendricks’ classes and wished him luck when he left our small university to accept his current position at SFA.

The second part of the original question, “Why do I want to further my education, at Stephen F. Austin State University?” Quite frankly, after my experiences as an undergraduate with Dr. Hendricks, I am excited about the opportunity to work with him as a graduate student. I value his opinion and am in debt to him for the lesson he taught me that day. Practical perspective is lacking in our field and I know SFA offers such practical perspective. I am excited possibly to be a part of that tradition. I am passionate about three principles: 1) not letting expediency threaten accuracy, 2) news is not about the ones who report it and 3) wanting to be part of the solution and not the problem. I know SFA is dedicated to the same ideals, and I anticipate a rewarding collaboration.